Summary - Statement No. 79

Summaries / Status

(Issued 12/15)

This Statement addresses accounting and financial reporting for certain external investment pools and pool participants. Specifically, it establishes criteria for an external investment pool to qualify for making the election to measure all of its investments at amortized cost for financial reporting purposes. An external investment pool qualifies for that reporting if it meets all of the applicable criteria established in this Statement. The specific criteria address (1) how the external investment pool transacts with participants; (2) requirements for portfolio maturity, quality, diversification, and liquidity; and (3) calculation and requirements of a shadow price. Significant noncompliance prevents the external investment pool from measuring all of its investments at amortized cost for financial reporting purposes. Professional judgment is required to determine if instances of noncompliance with the criteria established by this Statement during the reporting period, individually or in the aggregate, were significant.

If an external investment pool does not meet the criteria established by this Statement, that pool should apply the provisions in paragraph 16 of Statement No. 31, Accounting and Financial Reporting for Certain Investments and for External Investment Pools, as amended. If an external investment pool meets the criteria in this Statement and measures all of its investments at amortized cost, the pool’s participants also should measure their investments in that external investment pool at amortized cost for financial reporting purposes. If an external investment pool does not meet the criteria in this Statement, the pool’s participants should measure their investments in that pool at fair value, as provided in paragraph 11 of Statement 31, as amended.

This Statement establishes additional note disclosure requirements for qualifying external investment pools that measure all of their investments at amortized cost for financial reporting purposes and for governments that participate in those pools. Those disclosures for both the qualifying external investment pools and their participants include information about any limitations or restrictions on participant withdrawals.

Effective Date

The requirements of this Statement are effective for reporting periods beginning after June 15, 2015, except for certain provisions on portfolio quality, custodial credit risk, and shadow pricing. Those provisions are effective for reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2015. Earlier application is encouraged.

How the Changes in This Statement Will Improve Financial Reporting

This Statement will enhance comparability of financial statements among governments by establishing specific criteria used to determine whether a qualifying external investment pool may elect to use an amortized cost exception to fair value measurement. Those criteria will provide qualifying external investment pools and participants in those pools with consistent application of an amortized cost-based measurement for financial reporting purposes. That measurement approximates fair value and mirrors the operations of external investment pools that transact with participants at a stable net asset value per share.

Unless otherwise specified, pronouncements of the GASB apply to financial reports of all state and local governmental entities, including general purpose governments; public benefit corporations and authorities; public employee retirement systems; and public utilities, hospitals and other healthcare providers, and colleges and universities. Paragraph 2 discusses the applicability of this Statement.